Compulsory use of safety belts and
child-restraint systems: Commission sends reasoned opinion to the United
Kingdom

The European Commission has decided today to send a
reasoned opinion to the United Kingdom for failure to transpose the Directive on
the compulsory use of safety belts and child-restraint systems in vehicles in
Gibraltar, and to notify its implementing measures. This Directive was adopted
to increase safety for road users and especially for children.

Directive 2003/20/EEC relating to the compulsory use of safety belts and
child-restraint systems in vehicles had to be transposed into national law by 9
May 2006. As the United Kingdom failed to comply with the Directive in
Gibraltar, the Commission sent it a letter of formal notice on 11 July 2006.

The Directive makes it compulsory for all passengers, including children to
wear safety belts, except in public service vehicles. Furthermore it was made
compulsory to use child restraints on seats fitted with safety belts without
specifying the type of child-restraint.

Failure to wear seatbelts is one of the three major causes of road transport
fatalities in the European Union.